A Note About the Epilogue

After an almost fairy tale ending, this book was in the publishers' hands when an unspeakable tragedy happened. Losing her son a second time decimated Laura. She considered not publishing. After six months of terrible grief, she decided to move forward with publishing, and added an epilogue. The epilogue, while tying up the loose ends as well as telling the true ending, is very brief because of the crippling fresh grief Laura was experiencing.

I found the epilogue heartbreaking. It was a shock to my system when I read it. A tragic twist.

I was terrible saddened when I read of her son's fate. He'd just told his mother how wonderful it was that she was in his life. What happened was so devastating, but Laura had at least been able to know her son and now is a real part of his family. My heart goes out to her.

Her loss I feel was compounded because Richard was just returned to her. She was so happy. What was missing in her life was back and she felt whole. She was looking forward to happy years. I felt her shock and sorrow. I'm sure śhe will now have guilt and so many "what if's"

So very sad and I’m sure devastating to Laura. There did appear to be some family disposition to depression…Laura’s mother was often depressed, staying in bed all day and leaving the running of the household to her children, and Laura had periods of depression, both when she returned home from the place in New Orleans where she had to leave her baby and during the period of time she lived in California and was raising her children as a single parent.

Wow! It blew me away. I know the author couldn't reveal why Richard took his life but wish she had. How terribly difficult to say goodbye twice but what a blessing that she has his family

So touching. I'm so sorry for your loss, Laura.

I am glad to understand this epilogue better. It felt unfinished, but the note explains that the grief was so fresh

The epilogue was crushingly sad. I felt like I personally knew Laura by the end of the book, and I was so happy that the extended family had met and seemed blended. I appreciated the author's willingness to share the sorrowful update with us in the epilogue and also appreciate that Laura's publisher added it.

The chapter before the epilogue ended on such an upbeat note: knowing that 2000 miles and faith and love could make dreams come true. That made the epilogue all the more poignant. My heart ached/aches for Laura and the all too brief time that she had with her son.

The shocking news in the epilogue of Richard taking his own life, made me think about the mental illness touched upon throughout the book. Laura's mother was very probably bipolar and I think one can make the case that Laura was considering her own mental illness when she wrote about her reactions to being abandoned by the boyfriend and raising her children as a single parent.

The news of her son’s death was so sad. I was so sad for her.

I was also shocked and saddened. Thank you for adding this explanation.

I too am sorry she was not able to write more than she did. Not having been adopted nor given a child up for adoption,it is hard to know the depth of one's loss that is felt. Some adoptees, regardless of how loving their adopted parents are, may have trouble getting past the fact that their biological parents "gave them up" for whatever reason. Much is being written now about how the trauma we experience in our past(mental as well as physical) affects our physical selves (as in actually causing physical changes in our bodies) in the present. Perhaps her son's depression was partially related to his being adopted and how he mentally processed that knowledge.

Thank you so much for this note about the epilogue. My heart goes out to Laura and her family. Laura is so courageous to share her story, even through her grief.